Folding and delivery mechanism



y 19% ci. s. CRAFTS 2,353,445

FOLDING AND DELIVERY MECHANISM Filed June 3, 1942 ples of the invention.

Patented July 11, 1944 UNITED STATES. PATENT 1 OFFICE FOLDING ANDI nsuvsar Mechan sm- Curtis S. Crafts, Oak Park; Ill;, assignor to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, 111;, a i corporation of Illinois Application June 3, 1942; Serial No. 445,544

12 Claims.

.The present invention relates to new and usei'ul improvements in folding and delivery apparatus and more particularly to a novel and improved rotary folding and delivery mechanism particularly adapted for use with rotary printing presses.

. Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part, will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the, same being realized and attainedby means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements; herein shown and described. The accompanying drawing, referred to herein the description, serves to explain the prlnci-i The single figure of the drawing is a diagram-' matic view showing the relative position and'cooperation of the various rotary cutting, folding, impaling, gripping and delivery elements of the present embodiment of the invention.

The present invention has for its Oblectthe provision of a novel and improved rotary cutting,

folding and delivery mechanism which is capacitated to deliver alternatively a plurality of different kinds of products, and in which the change from one kind of product to another may be easily accomplished.

The invention further provides an improved rotary cutting, folding and delivering mechanism which is relatively simple in construction and which can produce products with one or two slit thefolded product into more than one section.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well, are exemplary and explanatory of the inventionbut are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now indetail to the illustrative embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing, a plurality of'webs of paper W which may or may not'be longitudinallyfolded are fed to the cutting, delivery and folding apparatus by means of nipping rolls H) which press against. the web and are driven at a surface the same as that of the normal web speed, and the associated webs Ware thus fed to the cutting cylinders l2 and I, The male cutting cylinder I2 is provided with diametrically opposed cutting knives It, while the female cylinder H, of, the same diameter; is provided with diaparallel folds, may collect or not as desired,

and delivers these products satisfactorily at relatively high speeds.

In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the invention, rotary means are provided for cutting one or more associated webs of'paper into sheet lengths, which sheets are transferred. to another cylinder which may collect a plurality;

of sheet lengths, and the single groupv of sheets metrically opposed cutting-blocks l8, and with cooperating impaling pins I! which impale the leading end of the web. and cause it to be carried around with the cylinder l4 until the leading 7 end is transferred to the collecting cylinder.-

, .Qollectingwcylinder 2l, comprises a larger cylinder. whichisconventionally one-and one-half times the diameter of-cylin'ders l2" and I4, and is provided with threesetso! lmpallns pins 2|, three sets of grippers, 22,. and three. sets of spring-seated folding knives 24, the. latter'being a standard magazine type of" folding blade, the

folding knives being spaced a sheet length apart- (equidistantfrom each other), as are the impaling pins 2| and grippers 22.

cylinder ll. Each, of' the cylinders is also provided with, an auxiliary-removable spring-seated folding knife to-cooperate with a 101cm; Jaw

"on delivery cylinder ll. one such delivery cylinder being provided foreach of the Jaw cylinders 3!. Delivery cylinders are alsonprovided with a pair of diametrically opposed grippers to. take. theproducts from the respective Jaw cylinders ilfland deliver them to. the slowly moving delivery belts 39, disposed immediately slitting means may beprovided to II. below. r

The folding. knives 24 are positioned substantially midway between the pairs of impaling pinsand grippers A standard slitting disk 40 is provided running with each of the delivery cylinders 36, for slitting the two-page wide ribbons into single width ribbons before they are delivered on the slowly moving belts 39. The disk 40 may be optionally silenced so that products of varying width may be delivered. Relieved feed pulleys 43 are provided to operate in conjunction with the jaw cylinders 30 and operate at the same surface speed. Necessary gearing is provided between cylinders 30 and 36 to rotate cylinder 30 either one-to-one with cylinder 36 or can make two revolutions for each revolution of cylinder 36, thev purpose of this differential speed ratio being described hereinafter. The surface speed of cylinders l2, l4, and is exactly that of the web, there being a slight differential in. surface speed between cylinders and cylinder 20, this differential being necessary on account of the tuck and fold mechanisms The general construction of the jaws and folding knives, together with their timed relationship being shown in Patent #l,966,885 of July 17, 1934.

Conventional means are provided for operating the impaling pins l8 so as to impale the leading end of the web W just priorto the moment of cutting by the knife l5, and carry the web part Way around cylinder H to a point approxi- 'mately on the center line between cylinders l4 and 20, at which time impaling pins 2| take the leading edge of the web, while pins I8 are withdrawn. The-web is thus transferred to cylinders 20, and at a point just past the tangent line. 7 between cylinders l4 and 20 the grippers 22 take the web, these g ppers having previously been retired below the surface of the cylinder by the double motion which actuates them.

Shortly after grippers 22 have gripped the web, impaling pins 2| are retracted below the cylinder surface. Grippers-22 carry the web around the cylinder 20 .until it is folded off 'by the corresponding 'blade 24 into one orthe other of the jaws 3| of cylinders 30. its is usual, suitable means are provided for actuating the spring-seated folding knives, 24 so that they operate, to fold all of the collected sheets into the jaw 3|of one of the cylinders 30, or to fold the uncollected sheets alternately first into the jaw 3| of one and then the other cylinder 30. The impaling pins 2| are similarly actuated so as to release the leading end of the sheets just prior to themoment of folding, and conventional means are employed for releasing the grippers 22 each time that the singleor collected groups of sheets are to be folded from the cylinder 20, to either cylinder 30 The entire mechanism is designed to deliver full size products with three sides open or half size products having two parallel folds. The sequence of operation when delivering straight run products having three sides open, is as follows? Pins la in cylinder |4 impaling the leading edge ofthe webs just prior to cutting, carry the webs partially, around to the. point of tangency between cylinders l4 and 20, where impaling pins 2| of cylinder 20 engage the leading edge, while pins1|8 arewithdrawnggrippers 22 of cylinder 20, take the webs just past the tangent point and pins 2| are withdrawn- Both jaw cylinders 30' are in operation but folding knives 33 have "been removed. The sheet or web is carried around cylinder 20 until folding knife 24 comes intoopera-tion'with folding jaw 3| of the first orleft-hand jaw cylinder 30, at which point the fold in the first set of sheets them from the folding knife, the grippers 22 then release the sheets.

The following series of sheets, which constitute the other half of the plate cylinders, are carried by cylinder 20 past the left-hand jaw cylinder delivery grippers 38, by -means of which they are carried around and laid down on the slow down belt 39at half speed.

Pulleys 43 are set to carry a pinch on the folded sheets between cylinders 30 and themselves, and since their surface speed is the same as the coacting 'jaw cylinders, serve to feed the sheets ahead into the grippers at the time of transfer,

since at this time, with the jaws open, the sheets would, without this pinch, be entirely free and would not properly transfer. As there are two sections around the plate cylinders and alternate deliveries, one left and one right, complete separation of the signatures is obtained, it being understood that since cylinders 36 rotate at half the revolutions of cylinders 30, delivery grippers 38 alternately accept sheets from their jaws 3|.

As previously stated, the 2-page wide signatures can be slit into two l-page wide signatures by means of slitter pulleys 40 before they are laid on the belts, or, if it is desired, by silencing slitter 40 the-signatures can be delivered two deep. If the folder is run with l-page wide ribbons only, it is not necessary to use the slitter.

The collect run for the same size signatures is made in the same manner, with the exception that either one of the jaw cylinders 30, together with its co-acting delivery cylinder 36, is silenced and is therefore inoperative, it being the usual custom to silence the pair of cylinders on the right side of the drawing. In this case, the first signature which is cut off and transferred to the collecting cylinder, is carried around by the pins and, grippers in that cylinder past the first Jaw cylinder 30, the pin and gripper release cams at this time being thrown out of action by the mechanism which operates it. The signature is therefore not folded off but is carried up to cutting onto the signature for the first half, with the imis made by the action of the folding jaw taking paling pins 2| moved out by means of their cam to a position where they will accept the sheets, and the grippers 22 having been retired so that they will pass cylinder l4. These grippers, in

.the manner previously described, then take the combined signatures, the impaling pins are withdrawn, and the two signatures carried around where they are folded in the single jaw 3| of the first cylinder 30, the grippers, being arranged to release at the proper time by means of their gripper operating cam. The collected signature is then transferred to delivery cylinder 36 and conveyor 39 as previously stated.

If it is desired to deliver products having two parallel folds on a straightrun, the operation of the upper portion of the folder is the same as for the other size signature. In this case, however, folding knives 33 are installed in both of the jaw cylinders 30. Delivery cylinders 36 are arranged, by their suitable gearing, to make one revolution for one revolution of the jaw cylinder and, jaws 35 are properly timed in with folding iknives33. The signatures are thus transferred from the cutting to the collecting cylinder and ,folded into jaw cylinder 30 in the standard mane ner, but here, instead of being transferred at half speed to the grippers of cylnider 36, they are folded into jaw 35,01? cylinder 36 at the full speed of ,the folder and are delivered 'on'the belts at this speed. Since the signatures are only half size, no difficulty in delivering at this speed-will be the grippers 38 r r v V r A collect run for-this, type of signatureis made exactly the same as for the full size with th'eexception that theparallel fold, instead of the half speed transfer, is made between cylinders 30 and The mechanism of the present illustrative embodiment of the invention thus provides an easily convertible apparatus by which a group of sheets cut from one or more associated webs may be given one or two parallel folds, or two groups of cut sheets may be collected and given one or two parallel folds, and each of the once or twice folded, collected or non-collected products may be slit into a plurality of products if desired.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages. i

What I claim is:

1. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism including in combination means for cutting sheet lengths from a running web, means for taking the cut sheets and selectively collecting and not collecting said sheets, means for folding the cut from and a delivery cylinder operable ,attdifferenable to transfer sheets to the delivery cylinder without folding when the jaw cylinder is operated at a higher surface. speedthan its. delivery'cyl-v inder. i

a 4. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism including incombination a pair of cutting cylinders, a folding cylinder having sheet taking means selectively operable to collect and not collect sheets, a jaw cylinder-cooperating with the folding cylinder to receive folded sheets thereent speeds with the jaw cylinder, saidjaw cylinder having a silencable folding blade which may operate to fold th folded sheets onto the delivery cylinder, said jaw cylinder being operable to transfer sheets to the delivery cylinder without folding when the jaw cylinder is operated at a higher" surface speed thanthe delivery cylinder.

2. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism} including in combination a pair of cutting cylinders, a folding cylinder having sheet taking means selectively operable to collect and not to collect sheets, a pair of alternately operating Jaw cyl inders cooperating with the folding cylinder to receive folded sheets therefrom, one of which may be silenced, and a delivery cylinder for each jaw cylinder, each said jaw cylinder having a silencable folding blade which may operate to fold the folded sheets onto the delivery cylinder, said jaw cylinder being operable to transfer sheets to the delivery cylinder without folding when the jaw cylinder is operated at a higher speed than its delivery cylinder.

3. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism including in combination a pair of cutting cylinders, a folding cylinder having sheet taking means, a pair of jaw cylinders cooperating with the folding cylinder to receive folded sheets therefrom and a delivery cylinder operable at 5. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism including in combination a pair of cutting cylinders, a folding cylinder having sheet taking means, a jaw cylinder cooperating with the folding cylinder to receive folded sheets therefrom and a delivery cylinder operable at different speeds with the jaw cylinder, said-jaw cylinder having a silencable folding blade which may operate to fold the folded sheets onto the delivery cylinder said jaw cylinder being operable to transfer sheets to the delivery cylinder without folding when the jaw cylinder is operated at a higher surface speed than the delivery cylinder.

6. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism including in combination a pair of cutting cylinders, a folding cylinder having three folding blades, grippers and sets of pins selectively operable to fold and to collect and fold sheets cut by the cutting cylinder, a pair of jaw cylinders operable at substantially the same surface speed as the folding cylinder and having each a silencable folding blade which may operate to give a second fold to products folded to the jaw cylinder by the folding cylinder and a delivery cylinder selectively running with each jaw cylinder at substantially the same speed and one half the speed of the jaw cylinder to receive and deliver the once and twice folded sheets.

7. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism including in combination a pair of cutting cylinders, a folding cylinder having folding blades, grippers and sets of pins to fold sheets cut by the cutting cylinder, a pair of jawcylinders having a silencable folding blade which may operate to give a second fold to-products folded to the jaw cylinder by the folding cylinder and a delivery cylinder-running with each jaw cylinder to receive and deliver the once and twice folded sheets, said delivery cylinders being selectively operable at the same and half the surface speed of the respective jaw cylinders.

8. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism including in combination a pair of cutting cylinders, a folding cylinder having folding blades,

grippers and sets of pins to fold sheets cut by the cutting cylinder, a pair of jaw cylinders having a silencable folding blade which may operate to give a second fold to products folded to the jaw cylinder by the folding cylinder and a delivery cylinder running with each jaw cylinder to receive and deliver the once and twice folded sheets, said delivery cylinders being selectively operable at the same and half the surface speed of the delivery cylinder and a slitter running with the delivery cylinder fcrslitting a folded sheet into a plurality of products.

9. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism including in combination a folding cylinder, a delivery cylinder having a folding jaw and sheet taking devices, and a jaw cylinder, intermediate the folding cylinder and delivery cylinder, having delivery cylinder being selectively operable at the same and at a lower surface speed than the'jaw cylinder, means in the jaw and delivery cylinders for selectively transferring-a folded signature from the jaw cylinder to the delivery cylinder and forgiving a second fold to the once folded signature and transferring said signaturefrom the jaw cylinder to the delivery cylinder.

11. A cutting, folding andidelivery mechanism including in combination a pair of cutting cylinders, a folding cylinder having means selectively operable to collect and not to collect, a pair of jaw cylinders to receive and fold sheetsfrom the collecting cylinder and a delivery cylinder for each jaw cylindensaid delivery cylinders being selectively rotatable at the same surface speedas the other cylinders and at a lower speed, each jaw cylinder having a silencable folding blade by which a second fold may be made in thesheets.

12. A cutting, folding and delivery mechanism including in combination a pair of cutting cylinders, a folding cylinder, a jaw cylinder to receive and fold sheets from the collecting cylinder and a delivery cylinder for the 'jaw cylinder, said delivery cylinder being selectively rotatable at the same surface speed as the other cylinders and at a lower speed, each jaw cylinder having a silencable fold- 0 ing blade by which a second fold may be made in the sheets.

1 CURTIS S. CRAFTS. 

